Issa: Trump ‘Using Levers’ Against China

5 Dec 2016

Monday on CNN’s “Situation Room,” while discussing President-elect Donald Trump’s tweets about China and his phone call with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) said Trump was “using levers” of power against China.

Issa said, “I think a better way to put it is President Obama announced and began a pivot to Asia. That was really about Japan and other countries seeing China as an emerging power that was beginning to threaten a status quo, that had military and economic reach intent, and nothing has changed as a result that declaration by Obama.”

“With President-elect Trump what you are seeing is he is using levers,” he continued. “We can disagree if they are wrong or they are right but he is clearly using levers. The meeting with Japan’s leader, the call from Taiwan’s leader, and a recognition that China is not the only place there are levers of power in Asia, and I’ll tell you, I would rather use the levers he just used than a military lever.”